The battle to land lightweight free agent Eddie Alvarez (24-3 MMA, 8-1 BFC) is starting to heat-up, or so it would appear. The former Bellator lightweight title holder is being pursued by both the UFC and his former employer Bellator Fighting Championships.

Following Alvarez’s last fight, he officially became a free agent after competing under the Bellator banner for the last few years. While the promotion retained a matching period to offer Alvarez equal money to that of any other organization courting his services, they allowed him to seek out the best deal before they decided if they would try to re-sign him or not.

The UFC finally got around to making Alvarez an official offer recently, but Bellator’s decision on whether or not they will match that offer still hasn’t happened, leading UFC president Dana White to presume that things will likely “get ugly.”

White has made no secret that he wants to land Alvarez as a free agent and bring him in to the UFC Octagon, but as a former lightweight champion and one of the promotion’s most recognizable names, he also holds a valuable place in the Bellator family as well.

“It’s gonna get ugly,” stated White. “I just don’t know if I can talk about it.” he said on Thursday.

The ball appears to be in the court of Bellator Fighting Championships at the moment, but the saga to claim the rights to Eddie Alvarez seems far from over.